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My AC Has Sprung a Leak!

HVAC-repair-technician-on-the-jobAir conditioners can develop leaks. Refrigerant leaks are, in fact, among the most serious of all problems that you may encounter with your home cooling system. However, air conditioners do not really leak water — at least not in the way that you may be thinking. After all, evaporative coolers aside, air conditioning systems don’t actually use water in their operation. They don’t have a water line supplying water to the cabinet. So why is there water surrounding your air conditioning system?

The good news is that you are not imagining the problem. There very well could be water surrounding your air conditioner in Bolingbrook, IL, and the AC cabinet could well be the source of that water. So where does this water come from, if you’re not really dealing with a water leak in the AC? That is exactly what we’re here to explore today. Read on, and remember that we are here to resolve any air conditioning problems that you may encounter.

Where Does the Water Come From?

The air. That’s right — the moisture that you are seeing on the floor surrounding your air conditioning system comes from the air. Your AC system’s primary function is to cool the air in your home, right? When evaporating refrigerant in the evaporator coil in order to facilitate the cooling of your air, though, the AC also dehumidifies the air somewhat. The water that you are seeing on your floor is this condensation leaking out of the system.

Why Does the Water Wind Up on the Floor?

This is where the trouble comes in. A likely reason for your “leaking” air conditioner is a damaged condensate drain pan or drain line. When the moisture drawn out of the air during the cooling cycle condenses on the evaporator coil, it cannot just stay there. It has to be drained out of the system and out of your home. This is accomplished with the use of a condensate drainage assembly.

The condensation should drip down into the drain pan, then exit the house via the drain line. If that drain pan is misaligned, or if it is corroded, it can leak. If the drain line is damaged or backed up due to algal growth, it can fail to remove the water successfully. These issues are relatively easy to resolve, but failing to do so can result in real property damage.

Melting ice is another potential issue that could lead to the water surrounding your air conditioning system. If the evaporator coil gets too cold due to a lack of airflow resulting from a dirty air filter, or because the coil is dirty, or because of a refrigerant leak, then the condensation on the coil can freeze on that coil. When it melts off, it can wind up overwhelming your condensate drain assembly, leaving the water to spill out of the system all over your floor. Whatever the cause of the problem, we can help.

Schedule your air conditioning services with the professional technicians here at DuAll Heating & Cooling.

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